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James Conroyd Martin

KIRKUS REVIEWS: "A meticulously researched historical account presented in the form of a thrilling political drama."GRAND PRIZE—Best Book, Chanticleer International Book Awards 

Theodora: actress, prostitute, mistress, feminist. And Byzantine Empress of the Roman world. Stephen: handsome Syrian boy, wizard's apprentice, palace eunuch. And Secretary to the Empress. How does this unlikely pair become such allies that one day Empress Theodora asks Stephen to write her biography?

From a very young age, Theodora, daughter of a circus bear keeper in Constantinople, sets her sights well above her station in life. Her exquisite beauty sets her apart on stages and in the eyes of men.

Stephen, a Syrian lad of striking good looks, is sold by his parents to a Persian wizard, who teaches him a skill in languages that will serve him well.

By the time Destiny brings them together in Antioch, Theodora has undergone heart-rending trials and a transformation, while Stephen has been sold again… and castrated.

Discover the enduring bond that, however imperfect, prompts Theodora—as Empress—to request palace eunuch Stephen to write her biography.

James Gillies

The Theodora Duology

Fortune's Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora

"A gorgeous tapestry of impeccable research and intricate worldbuilding."—Kate Quinn, author of The Empress of Rome Series 

Although Too Soon the Night can be read as a stand-alone novel, it continues the story of Theodora, as told by eunuch Stephen, where Fortune’s Child leaves off: after her marriage to Justinian and her taking a new stage as Empress of the New Rome.

Together, Justinian and Theodora reach for greatness, albeit in different areas: Justinian aims to simplify thousands of old Roman laws into one codex, as well as reconquer Rome and other lands lost to barbarians. Theodora longs to close the chasm between two religious beliefs, establish significant rights for women, and ensure that the Justinian-Theodora bloodline continues.

Unforeseen cataclysmic events with which the royal pair must contend include the first worldwide pandemic and a city uprising that places their dual throne and very lives at risk.

Too Soon the Night: A Novel of Empress Theodora